On November 15, the Washington Post editorial board published a piece titled “SeaWorld’s Whales Still Deserve Better”. The authors argue that just as the Ringling Bros. and Barnum & Bailey Circus had to come to grips with the reality that dressing up elephants and forcing them to stand on their heads was a callous holdover of another age, SeaWorld should recognize the need for new thinking and bold action. The whales now in captivity are unlikely to survive in the wild, but sanctuaries could be created that would better emulate conditions of their natural habitat. The existing tanks would be put to far better use accommodating the injured animals that are a part of SeaWorld’s admirable rescue efforts. Since breeding orcas only consigns future generations to captivity and its inherent cruelty, SeaWorld should voluntarily end the practice. Read More >

Georgia Aquarium announced on November 17th that they will not appeal the case of the import of 18 beluga whales from Russia. This puts an end to their efforts to seek an import permit.
Our coalition, which includes Earth Island Institute’s International Marine Mammal Project, Animal Welfare Institute, Whale & Dolphin Conservation, and Cetacean Society International, had intervened in the case as defendants in support of NMFS, which denied Georgia Aquarium’s import permit application.
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“SeaWorld fully intends to continue forced breeding of orcas in captivity,” says David Phillips, Director of the International Marine Mammal Project (IMMP) of Earth Island Institute. “They will continue to keep orcas in concrete tanks with no intention of retirement or release. They intend to continue to import and export orcas to other captive facilities.”
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For more than 30 years, the International Marine Mammal Project has led the fight to protect dolphins, whales and the ocean environment. We have achieved victories for marine mammals around the world and work to make the oceans safe for whales, dolphins and marine life. We are a proud project of the non-profit Earth Island Institute, headquartered in Berkeley, California USA.